Today’s blog is inspired (as usual) by a conversation I recently had... the actual quote that got my wheels turning was this:
“Gosh Tom, everything you ask me to do really takes up a lot of my time”
This was after my third email asking for his finished assessment exercises. Yes, I said THIRD.
In case you were wondering, yes, sometimes people really do pay me for one of my coaching programs and procrastinate their way into a job search that is a tougher slog than it needs to be.
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Resumes are important to showcase your “personal brand.” They are what companies and individuals see when you apply to jobs. They highlight your skills, tell a story, and explain why your skills are relevant for a particular job.
For many of us, the reasons we focused on achieving our Ph.D. may be clear cut--we are destined for greatness in the academic arena. For others, it was just the path of least resistance and allowed the continuation of the “student lifestyle” in a comfortable research field.
I’ve sent rough drafts of my research chapters to my boss, but I’m having an unbelievable bout of writers’ block for the conclusions chapter. I have a section at the end of every research chapter with conclusions, some discussion and implications, and future directions. These are standard items for the end of a chapter, according to the postdocs in my group. I’m now struggling with how to write a conclusions chapter that doesn’t sound like it was copied from the end of each chapter. That would look awful and I’d appear incredibly unmotivated to take such a perceived shortcut.
As I have searched for postdoctoral positions, the postdocs in my research group have suggested using websites like postdocjobs.com and the job listings on the Science and Nature sites. Surprisingly, I only saw a few advertisements where a cover letter was specifically requested. I do not have much experience writing cover letters, so I set out to find some resources on how to write an effective cover letter.
In January, my local AWIS chapter event was a seminar given by Joan Moran on Empowering Women Towards Real Success. Joan has had an exceedingly interesting life with a variety of career changes: a background in theatre, an entrepreneur, artistic director, actress, producer, a teacher of acting, Argentine tango, yoga and now public speaking (for more details http://www.joanfrancesmoran.com/ ). She was an amazingly engaging speaker who wasn’t afraid to share personal anecdotes to get the point across.
That choice wasn't anything that I thought about when leaving academia for government research. Perhaps because my first government post, with the US Army, actually involved a whole lot of creativity. Probably even more than I got to use during my dissertation work.
I have had the pleasure of planning numerous events, initially as the social chair of the postdoctoral association (PDA) at my research institute, and now as the chair/president of the PDA. That is correct, I said pleasure! When people at my institution or other organizations comment on the terrors of planning events, I have to disagree. I have to admit that it does get my Adrenalin pumping and that sometimes things go wrong, or only happen at the last possible second, but seeing something come to fruition is very satisfying.
Well, it’s the new year. Do you have any resolutions? If your resolution is to determine your future career, here are a few places to start.
Hello All!
I am a firm believer in doing little things each day that add up. Whether it’s acquiring a new skill, or fulfilling a personal goal, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
In the realm of job search, it’s what you do over time WHILE YOU ARE EMPLOYED that will help you if you suddenly find yourself UNEMPLOYED.
